On the blog today, we have the next "expanded league leader" card
in my on-going thread, this one the 1974 card for the American League
stolen base leaders of 1973:
We start off with
Tommy Harper, who took home his second stolen base crown, now as a
member of the Boston Red Sox, with his 54 steals.
Back in 1969 he also led the American League in steals while a member of the one-year Seattle Pilots, with 73.
Harper
would finish his 15-year career in 1976 with 408 stolen bases overall,
with a 30-30 season in 1970 as a Milwaukee Brewer when he hit 31 homers
while stealing 38 bases.
Just one stolen base behind him with
53 is the Oakland A's speedster Billy North, who played his first full
season in the Majors in 1973 and didn't disappoint, hitting .285 with
those 53 steals, scoring 98 runs while collecting 158 hits.
He
would go on to lead the league in steals two time over the next three
years, with a high of 75 in 1976, finishing with 395 stolen bases for
his career by the time he'd hang them up in 1981.
In third place with 43 steals is the Texas Rangers' Dave Nelson, who also finished in third the previous year.
After
swiping 51 bases in 1972 he put in what was his best year as a Big
Leaguer, hitting .286 with 165 hits and 71 runs scored, with 24 doubles,
four triples and seven homers, all career bests aside from the triples.
So there you go!
The top three stolen base players for the Junior Circuit of 1973!